Practices And Challenges Of Citizen Participation In Local Government: Case Studies Of Mid-Sized Cities In Russia And The United States

Citizen participation is a vital tool of democratic governance; it not only communicates citizens’ interests and preferences to governmental officials, but improves government legitimacy, responsiveness, transparency, and accountability. The objective of this chapter is to explore some practices and challenges of local governments in promoting civic engagement in mid-sized cities in Russia and the United States. We identify through key stakeholder interviews potentially successful practices used in such settings. Among these are the participation of citizens in surveys, workshops for development applications, development of cities’ historical preservation plans and planning codes, engagement with diverse stakeholder groups, public chambers, territorial public-self-government, and business councils. Future research is suggested that can enhance understanding of civic engagement practices across both societies